Document 1: Will Irwin,"Germans
Use Blinding Gas to Aid Poison Fumes," New York Tribune (27 April
1915), p. 1.

Introduction

Newspaper
reports of the initial gas attack by Germany at Ypres emphasized the illegality
of chemical warfare and the horrific effects of the poison on French troops.
Articles like this one in the New York Tribune alarmed the American
public about the unknown dangers of this new weapon.

Boulogne,
April 25.--The gaseous vapor which the Germans used against the French
divisions near Ypres last Thursday, contrary to the rules of The Hague
Convention, introduces a new element into warfare. The attack of last
Thursday evening was preceded by the rising of a cloud of vapor, greenish
gray and iridescent. That vapor settled to the ground like a swamp mist
and drifted toward the French trenches on a brisk wind. Its effect on
the French was a violent nausea and faintness, followed by an utter collapse.
It is believed that the Germans, who charged in behind the vapor, met
no resistance at all, the French at their front being virtually paralyzed.

Everything
indicates long and thorough preparation for this attack. The work of sending
out the vapor was done from the advanced German trenches. Men garbed in
a dress resembling the harness of a diver and armed with retorts or generators
about 3 feet high and connected with ordinary hosepipe turned the vapor
loose toward the French lines. Some witnesses maintain that the Germans
sprayed the earth before the trenches with a fluid which, being ignited,
sent up the fumes. The German troops, who followed up this advantage with
a direct attack, held inspirators in their mouths, these preventing them
from being overcome by the fumes.

In
addition to this, the Germans appear to have fired ordinary explosive
shells loaded with some chemical which had a paralyzing effect on all
the men in the region of the explosion. Some chemical in the composition
of these shells produced violent watering of the eyes, so that the men
overcome by them were practically blinded for some hours.

The
effect of the noxious trench gas seems to be slow in wearing away. The
men come out of their violent nausea in a state of utter collapse. Some
of the rescued have already died from the after effects. How many of the
men left unconscious in the trenches when the French broke died from the
fumes it is impossible to say, since those trenches were at once occupied
by the Germans.

This
new form of attack needs for success a favorable wind. Twice in the day
that followed the Germans tried trench vapor on the Canadians who made
on the right of the French position a stand which will probably be remembered
as one of the heroic episodes of this war. In both cases the wind was
not favorable, and the Canadians managed to stick through it. The noxious,
explosive bombs were, however, used continually against the Canadian forces
and caused some losses.